Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Born  23 November 1885 at Darwin in the Northern Territory.

Son of the late Alfred GILES and  Mother Mary Augusta (nee SPRIGG),  Pastoralist and Explorer of fifty years’ residence in the Northern Territory, and author of “Exploring in the ‘Seventies”, his note-books compiled whilst on his several exploratory trips now being deposited in the State Archives Department.

He was educated at St Peters College, and showing a distinct aptitude for engineering, took up an electrical engineering course at the SA School of Mines and Industries, subsequently completing same at the University of Adelaide.

In 1902 he commenced as a Cadet in the electrical branch of the General Post Office, but in 1904 desirous of entering into a wider field of experience, commenced duties with the Adelaide Electric Lighting and Traction Co.

On 24 July 1909 he married Elsie Kilpack, daughter of Arthur Kilpack Marshall, who for many years was GSM at Keswick Headquarters.  There being 5 children of the union (two sons and one daughter surviving).  At the outbreak of the Great War was residing at Dulwich.

In May 1908 he joined the SA Scottish Infantry as a Private and on 8 March 1910 was promoted to rank of Corporal, and on 3 September 1910 was promoted to Sergeant.

He received his first commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the same regiment on 21 August 1911 and on 1 July 1912, upon the introduction of universal training, transferred to the 79th (Torrens) Infantry, and was posted to the command of ‘A’ Company.  He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant on 31 January 1913 and held this commission at the time of joining the Australian Imperial Force (AIF).

At the outbreak of the Great War he offered his services for overseas, and was appointed a Lieutenant in the 10th Battalion at Morphettville on 19 August 1914, and posted to the Command of original ‘G’ Company.

He was promoted to the rank of Captain on 19 September 1914 and embarked with the original Battalion on HMAT A11 Ascanius on 20 October 1914.

At Mena, Egypt, his company merged with original ‘D’ Company and became the new ‘D’ Company, of which he was appointed 2nd in Command.  

He participated in the historic landing at ANZAC on 25 April 1915, and landed with his company from the destroyer Scourge.

That day he distinguished himself by leading 1560 men along Wire Gully and through Monash Valley in a determined but futile attempt to bridge the gap existing between the latter and Bay 700, which was the key position.    He and his men who had been fighting since the dawn of the landing, were one of the last parties to be relieved when the Royal Marine Light Infantry arrived, and the 10th bivouacked at Shell Green.   After Captain M J Herbert evacuated wounded on the day of the landing, he was appointed OC of ‘D’ Company.  For his splendid work at the landing he was mentioned in Army Corps Routine Orders.

During the Turkish attack on 19 May 1915 he was slightly wounded, but not forced to evacuate.

He was promoted to rank of Temporary Major on 8 August 1915 and was 2nd in Command of the Battalion from 25 August to 21 October 1915, when he resumed the Command of ‘D’ Company. 

On 8 November 1915, the return of a senior Officer necessitated his reversion to his substantive rank of Captain.

He was one of two original Officers of the Battalion who remained continuously on the Peninsula from the landing to the withdrawal of the Battalion on 21 November 1915.  He was also one of the four original 3rd Brigade Officers who could claim the same distinction.

Whilst at ANZAC he was recommended for honours, including a foreign decoration. 

He accompanied the Battalion to Lemnos and then to Egypt, and at Gebel Habieta Lieutenant-Colonel M F Beevor allocated to him a key position in the Suez Canal Defences, ‘D’ Company eventually being detailed to assist ‘A’ Company under Captain W F J McCann.  It was during this engagement that his Platoon Commander Lieutenant A S Blackburn won the first 10th Battalion VC.

On 23 July 1916 he was wounded and gassed, and proceeding to England, was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital at Wandsworth.  He subsequently returned to France and rejoined the 10th in the line at Gueudecourt on 3 November 1916 and was then appointed 2nd in Command of the 10th Battalion, and from 19 November to 6 December 1916 he temporarily assumed Command during the absence of Temp Lieutenant-Colonel George Ernest Redburg.  During the rigours of Flers he contracted trench fever and was forced to evacuate on 22 December 1916, being admitted to the Becordel Rest Station in immediate rear of the line.  There he spent two weeks, and then temporarily Commanded the 12th Battalion, returning to the 10th as 2nd in Command, just prior to the attack on Le Barque on 25 February 1917.  His good work in the capture of Le Barque, including his harassing of the enemy rear-guards during the German withdrawal, earned for him further recommendations for honours.

During April 1917, in the operations in the vicinity of Boursies and Beugny, he was further recommended. On 8 April 1917 he was seconded to the Senior Officers’ School at Aldershot, and on 13 April 1917, proceeded to England.   He received an excellent report from this school, and completed his course on 16 June 1917 and returning to France rejoined the 10th at Ribemont on 6 July 1917, taking over the Command of the Battalion from Major M Wilder-Neligan DSO, DCM.  He retained the Command of the 10th until 15 July 1917 when it was confidently anticipated by Officers and men of the Battalion that he would be permanently appoint to the Command.  It was decreed otherwise, for Major M Wilder-Neligan DSO, DCM, was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and appointed CO of the 10th. 

Major Giles was then seconded for duty with the 1st Anzac Corps School, and on 19 July 1917 was transferred to same as Assistant Commandant.  That was his last appearance with the 10th, much to the regret of Officers and men.  The school to which he proceeded was established on the heights of Theipval, overlooking the Ancre, at D’Eveloy, near Albert, and later was removed to Merkinhem near Volcringhem, and finally to Rue, near the French aerial base of Le Crotmer on the coast. 

He was later appointed Acting-Commandant of this school, and gained a reputation for efficiency and executive ability.  Before relinquishing Command of same he was requested to consign available official documents, orders, and reports appertaining the working of the school to the Royal Military College at Duntroon, where they are now housed.

He was Mentioned In Despatches (MID), vide London Gazette, 1 June 1917 and for his services in the prosecution of the war was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) which was included in the King’s Birthday Honours and promulgated in the London Gazette n 4 June 1917, and was the fourth 10th Battalion Officer to receive this coveted distinction.    He had previously been recommended for honours five times, and his final mention for good work at Boursies and Beugny in April 1917 probably secured for him the award.

On 5 October 1918 he became due for ANZAC 1914 leave, and relinquishing Command of the Australian Corps School proceeded to England, where he embarked at Tilbury for Plymouth, and there re-embarked for Montreal in Canada, proceeding to Vancouver via the Canadian Pacific Railway.  At the Pacific port he embarked on the Makura via Auckland for Sydney, and with Major G D Shaw of the 10th Battalion, arrived back in Adelaide on Christmas Eve 1918, his services with the AIF terminating on 21 February 1919.

During his absence from Australia he was promoted to the rank of Captain in his pre-war unit on 18 October 1914 (79th Infantry), gazette an honorary Major on 12 March 1916 and was appointed Captain in the 2/32nd Infantry on 1 October 1918.

Upon his return he was promoted to the rank of Major in the 2/32nd Infantry on 1 August 1920, and was promoted to rank of Temporary Lieutenant-Colonel from 1 October 1920 to 29 March 1921.   He was placed on the Unattached List on 30 March 1921 and listed on Reserve of Officers as Major on 31 March 1926.

He has been awarded the Volunteer Decoration.

During his sojourn on the Peninsula he secured a remarkable set of photographs of various positions etc, and these he kindly placed at the disposal of the National War Museum at Canberra.  One very fine view shows the raid on Gabe Tepe on 4 May 1915 by Captain R L Leane, of the 11th Battalion, when Captain C Rumball and a party of 12 men from the 10th were detailed to cut the wire defences and assist them to get through.  This unique view shows the destroyers covering the embarkation with gun-fire, and the same picture, with his permission, has been used by Dr C E W Bean in his “Story of Anzac”, Vol 1, p570. 

He also secured a remarkable view of Walker’s Ridge, and both negative and print show a well defined cross projecting above the skyline.  This inexplicable cross, which did not exist, is both distinct and geometrical in outline.  It would be interesting to know if the Imperial War Graves Commission has erected a memorial anywhere in the vicinity of the spot where this phenomenon occurred.

Upon his return to Australia he recommenced duties with the Adelaide Electric Supply Co. Ltd and in 1935 was meter superintendent at the Hilto Depot of that company.

He was residing at No. 35 Winchester Street, East Adelaide.

Always slow in speech and gait, he was the acme of solidity and reliability, and was affectionately known to all men of the 10th as “Farmer”.

He also possessed a very fine collection of battle-field souvenirs, including shell cases, helmets etc.  His recreations consist of shooting and motoring.

Extract from “The Fighting 10th”, Adelaide, Webb & Son, 1936 by C.B.L. Lock; kindly supplied courtesy of the 10th Bn AIF Association Committee, April 2015.